Syntakt users: How stable/unstable are your Dual VCOs?

Elektron Gear Syntakt
#1

Yesterday I finally got my Syntakt, so today I started learning how to use it following a quickstart guide on Youtube. This is my first Elektron box and also my first synth with analog circuits so I don’t have a whole lot experience with either.

Anyway, long story short, I get to the part of the quickstart guide where I learned how to record a bass line with the Dual VCO machine, the guide and I both had everything within the machine at default settings. When I played the same bass notes I noticed that the F on my Syntakt sounded incredibly unpleasantly detuned and phasey, whereas on the Syntakt in the video it sounded quite normal and pleasant. Now I’ve heard that analog circuits can sound different when they’re warmed up vs. when the machine just started so I tried both of those but the difference was still there. I then noticed that at exactly -12.00 detune on the machine parameter the F sounds incredibly phasey due to being ever so slightly out of tune, and that -12.00 and -11.99 are actually the exact same setting on my Syntakt for that parameter as the phase doesn’t change. -12.01 sounds much more pleasant, and indeed, in order to get as close to a perfect octave between the oscillators as possible I have to change this parameter to -11.83 or -11.82. If I want to tune both oscillators to be the same pitch I have to tune somewhere in the ballpark of +0.20. -0.00 is also very phasey.

So my question is, how detuned are your Dual VCOs at -12 or at -0? It definitely seems like my Syntakt’s Dual VCOs are less stable than those of other units I have heard.

SYNTAKT Bugs Thread
#2

Welcome.
You may perform a calibration to see if this gets better.

Get in the System menu/calibration and report.

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#3

This is also why I’d like a quick tuner of some sort in these boxes and I put the idea in the wish list thread too but don’t see it happening. Baffles me why there isn’t one in these from the start because so many parameters can throw something out of tune and to have access to a quick tuner to check tunings when writing a song would be amazing.

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#4

I ran the calibration but unfortunately the result is exactly the same.
I recorded an audio sample but unfortunately I can’t upload yet as I’m a new user.

#5

I’m assuming you’ve tried it on more than one blank project and had the same result?

#6

I tried another new project just now. At first it was D# that was noticeably phasey, but now after a couple of minutes it’s F again. All the parameters in the Machine are at the default it loads with.
I haven’t been able to find a configuration yet where both oscillators are totally in phase. Each note is basically a slightly different flavor of reese bass.
Judging from the comments here my problem doesn’t seem common…
I remember reading that the Dual VCOs in the Analog Rytm are pretty unstable so I just assumed probably everyone is dealing with this issue to some degree.

#7

Ok, give me a few minutes.

I’m going to go and record mine doing an F on a default DVCO patch at both -12 and 0 detune, then you can see how it sounds compared to yours.

Just let me get the kids to shut up for 5 minutes…

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#8

By the way it is specifically F 5 (displayed in scale mode) that sounds this jarringly phasey. The further I go up and down in pitch, the further the oscillators drift apart. But they’re definitely never fully in tune with each other, or at least I haven’t found a configuration yet that works, only those that are pretty close.

#9

Right.

Here we go.

PXL_20220524_195736926.MP
PXL_20220524_195736926.MP4032×3024 2.83 MB

Here’s the settings.

And here’s the sounds.

First note is at -12 detune, second is at 0 detune.

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#10

This is one of the reasons I have an hybrid setup (OB), I always have a Tuner (plugin) at hand.

5 Likes
#11

Yeah, yours is definitely worlds apart from mine and yours also sounds like it did in the video guide I watched. Not 100% in phase but also doesn’t seem to drift apart further with pitch either. Unfortunately I can’t share the audio of mine due to new account restrictions. Thanks for helping. Maybe I’m gonna have to return it…

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#12

Have you logged a support ticket on the Elektron website?

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#13

Look in the manual for the calibration section before returning!

EDIT: Oops just seen you did that already, but I’d try again one or two more times!

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#14

I haven’t because I don’t have an account there yet. I didn’t buy it directly from Elektron, got it from the big T.
I suppose that doesn’t matter though, does it? Then again, their solution would probably be similar; to send it in for servicing.

#15

Best thing is to register yourself and your Syntakt on the website and log a support ticket.

They might just tell you to send it back to the retailer for repairs, but they might be able to offer some more useful advice for calibration or whatever than us clowns are capable of.

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#16

Just tried another thing which was to copy the track settings of track 11 (which is where the Dual VCO Machine is in the init project setting) to track 9 and 10. It’s definitely sounds noticeably worse when it’s on track 11. That being said, neither 9 or 10 sound as stable as the sample you sent me.
Ran calibration a couple more times but no changes.

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#17

How long did your calibration take? I tried it now and i feel like it hasnt moved from 1/6 in like 10 mins.

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#18

Didn’t look at the clock but long enough that I just let it run in the background while doing something else. Maybe 10-15 minutes total?

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#19

I can finally upload audio now, here’s how mine sounds at default settings.
(Might be a bit loud.)

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#20

That sounds a bit off.

Have you had any luck with Elektron support?

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